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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · staff · coach · current · perch · straw · safe · clip

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ball — a dance
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. staff — a stick
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — to cut
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. current — electric
  19. clip — a video
  20. ball — a great time
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com